04 Jun Iraq war veteran looks into sustainable energy to show we don’t need oil

Iraq War veteran Steven Acheson at his home in Platteville, Wis. Photo by M.P. KING — State Journal.

Human psychology is a marvel. It can stigmatize us to remember what we wish we could forget, but it could also turn our most dreadful memories into a propeller for good.

After a wild week of anti-war rallies accompanying NATO’s 25th Summit in Chicago in 2012, I spoke with Iraq war veteran Steven Acheson, 27, who publicly discarded his service medal during the protests along with 50 other men and women of Iraq Veterans Against the War.

Acheson has served for almost five years in the United States Army, including more than one year in Iraq, which left him with Post-traumatic stress disorder and nightmares. When his relationship with the military was finally over, he had no doubts of his career choice.

Having grown up in an organic dairy farm, Acheson has been exposed to engineering as early as high school. Today he studies civil engineering at University of Wisconsin – Platteville and graduates in a year. He tells about his hopes to build a sustainable village, which proves that we can harness energy locally and need not fight wars over oil abroad.